Review

“Lively. . . . Tragedy's (and comedy's) alternation of speech and song provide the . . . fundamental rhythmic dynamic, and a good translator will use different registers to capture this alternation. Here, Taplin is very successful, and many passages in the odes convey both the intensity of the lyric mode and the contrast with the spoken rhythm that precedes and follows.”

(Bryn Mawr Classical Review)

“Taplin’s eminently readable version of this harrowing tragedy justifies his reputation as one of our foremost experts in dramatic criticism, whose pioneering efforts in illuminating ancient stagecraft remain indispensable today.”

(Froma Zeitlin, Princeton University)

“Euripides’s influential and provocative Medea continues to be read, performed, adapted, and reinterpreted in multiple contexts across the globe. Taplin’s accessible and performable, yet vivid and poetic translation makes the play available to a modern audience while doing justice to both its complexities and its horrific power.”

(Helene P. Foley, Barnard College, Columbia University)

“Taplin translates Medea into clear and contemporary English while reflecting well the different registers and tones that create the subtle texture of Greek tragedy. His version is eminently speakable, but also highly faithful to the original Greek, making it ideal for instructors and readers who want to study closely the specific metaphors and terms that carry the classic themes of this influential drama.”

(Donald J. Mastronarde, University of California, Berkeley)

“Taplin’s volume offers the raw bones of a brilliant production.”

(Francesca Middleton Times Literary Supplement)

About the Author

Euripides (c. 480 – 406 BCE) wrote some ninety plays, nineteen of which have survived.